Mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus.



J. LULEK.

MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.19| 1914.

1,14%1? Patented June 8,1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET zILu/M THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO LITHU. WASHING ruN.D. c

J. LULEK.

MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

1,142,107. APPLICATION FILED AUG-l9, 1914- Patented June 8,

5 SHEETS-SHEET2.

mvam oz l-witnesses I J15 w 695M0 2 4 as THE NORRIS PETERS 60..PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D C,

J. LULEK.

MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.19, 1914.

LMQA O7. Patented June 8, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTOLITHOH WASHINGTON. a c

J. LULEK.

MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I9. I9I4. 1 18A? Patented June 8, 1915.

I 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4- III IIIJIII a I lImnmm Svwemfoz "l vi liweoaeo d; LM 1 IU-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D, C.

1. LULEK.

MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I9, 1914. Pate 8, 1915.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

THE NORRIS PETERS Ca. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. Dv

JOHN LULEK, or cronno, ILLINOIS.

MAIL-BAG- GATGHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

A Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1915.

Application filed August 19, 1914. Serial No. 857,537.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, J OHN LULEK, a subjectof the Emperor of Austria-Hungary,

7 other mail collected while the car is still in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mail catching anddelivering apparatus for railroads in which the mail bag on a movingcarmay be delivered to the desired station by operating suitable mechanismto project the bag or bag receptacle in the path of receiving apparatusand to utilize thesame mail-delivering arm for the collection of othermail.

With the above and other objects in view that will appear as the natureof theinven- ,view of the same, illustrating the position of thereceiving and delivering mechanism with respect to the track. Fig. 3 isa side elevational view with the car omitted to illustrate the manner ofremoving the bag or bag receptacle from its support. Fig. 4 is a sideelevational view of the delivery rack with a bag receptacle inpositionthereon. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a mail carillustrating the collecting and delivery mechanism. Fig. 6 is ahorizontal sectional view of a portion of the car, showing intop planview the mail collecting and delivering mechanism. Fig. 7 is a frontelevational view of the mail bag receptacle. vFig. '8 is a top plan viewof the same. Fig. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of thereceptacle,

and, Fig. 10 is a'detail sectional view of the receptacle in position onone of the tracks.

Briefly described, the invention consists in providing a mail catchingand delivery mechanism for railroads in which the mail within a movingcar may be delivered at the desired station by suitable mechanism on thecar and adjacent the track. I have also provided means for collectingthe mail which consists in providing an operating device adjacent thetrack to engage the mail holding arm on the car to correctly positionthe arm to pick up the waiting mail.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, the referencenumeral 10 designates a mail car of any suitable construction providedwith a side door opening 11. The mail catching and delivery mechanismcarried by the car 10 comprises in detail a pair of spaced shafts 12arranged transversely of the car 10 and on which is adapted to slide thearm for collecting and delivering the mail. A pair of bracket arms 13have a loose connection at their ends as at 14 to the shafts 12. Handgrips 15 are carried by suitable ones of the shaft connections 14 and bywhich the members may be moved over said shafts. An arm 16 is fixed atits inner ends in central bearings 17 provided therefor intermediate theends of the bracket arms 13 and intermediate the said bracket arms, theshaft 16 has connected thereto one end of a fiat band spring 18 whilethe other end of said spring is connected to a sliding block 19positioned on" one' of the shafts 12. The spring 18 is adapted to holdthe arm 16 in a desired position for purposes to be later described.

The outer end of the arm 16 is provided with a pair of opposed arms 20in which is journaled a guide roller 21. A mail bag orreceptacle-holding device is carried by the outer end of the arm-16opposite the said arms 20, and consists of a substantially U- shapedmember 22 having the upper ends thereof outwardly flared as at 23 andhinged at its lower end as at 24 to said arm 16. I A lug 25 is carriedby one arm of the member 22 and has connected thereto one end of a coilspring 26. the opposite end of which is connected to the said arm 16 andadapted to hold the member 22 in the position shown in full lines inFig. 5 and to return the said member to such position as shown by dottedlines in said figure.

The mail bag receptacle is shown in detail in Figs. 7 to 10and consistsofa lOOX likQ structure'27 having an open front end 28 for withlateralears 34 in which are journaled the guide rollers 35. The upperend of the arm 33 extends rearwardlv and downwardly as at 36 to provideahanger or guide arm.

The} mechanism arranged adjacent the track and operating in connectionwith the mail bag receptacle supporting mechanism above described, isshown in detail in Figs. 1v to 4 to bepositioned adjacent the railroadtrack A. The frame-work or'guide track 37 is supported on the standards38 and provides a support for the mail receptacle 27 as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 1. An operating device for the receptacle supportingmember 22is provided in the form of a track or guide 39, over which theguide roller 21 is adapted to move as shown in Fig. 3.

The mail delivery track is more clearly shown in detail in Fig. 4 andconsists of the guide track 10, the fore-part of which is slightlyinclined upwardly and then downwardly as shown in said figure, with theend of said track directed into a mail house B.

, After the mail matter has been placed' within the receptacle 27, thesaid receptacle has its cushioning ring 30 positioned on the outer legof the U-shaped supporting member 22, and the arm 16 and mail receptacle27 carried thereby are' moved outwardly of the car as'shown in Fig. 5,by shifting the ;cross brackets 13. The guide rollers 35 and hanger 36are positioned to be placed on the tracktO and by the momentum of thecar moved up the initial incline and travel on the curved portion l0in adownward direction, at which time the U-shaped member 22 will be movedto dotted line position as shown in Fig. 5 to free the receptacle ring30 therefrom, sothat I the mail receptacle may be delivered into themailhouse B. 7

,'In collecting mail, the receptacle 27 is positioned on the'track 37and the guide roller 21 carried by the arm 16- caused to engage theguide track 39 to rotate the arm 16 against the tension of the bandspring 18 to the position shown in Fig. 3, so that the U-shaped member22 will be in position as shown in said figure to engage the ring 30.When the guide roller21 leaves the track 39,

the spring 18 will immediately return. the

member 22 to itsnormally vertical position,

. and further movement of the car will cause the rollers 35 to move overthetrack 37 and parting from the spirit and scope of the invention asclaimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a device of the class described, a pair of spaced shafts,bracketarms slidably mountedat their ends on said shafts, an armjournaled intermediate the ends of said bracket arms, a normallyvertical support ing member on the outer endof said arm,

means for .causingrsaid supporting member to assume a horizontalposition, a'nd means for returning said supporting member to itsnormally vertical position.

2.'In a device ofhe class mounted on said shafts, an arm journaled insaid bracket arms, a normally-projecting U-shaped receptacle supportingmember car ried by the outer end of said arm, a' guide roller carried bythe outer end of saidarm,

described, the i combination with a car providedwith transverse shafts,of bracket arms slidablya trackover which said guide roller is adaptforcausing said U-shaped member to return to normally vertical, positionwhen. said guide roller leaves said track. I

3. In a device of the class described, guide members, a bracket.adjustably mounted on" said guide members, an arm journaled in saidbracket, means associated w thsaid arm and guide members for causingsaid arm to returnto normal POSltlOILWllGILIGVOlYGCl 1n v V 1tsjournaled bearing, bag-supporting means carried by the outer-end ofsaidarm, and cooperating means for causing said arm to rotate'to lower thebag suppo'rting means.

4:. In a device of the class described, a. pair of parallel shafts, abracket slidably' mounted thereon, an arm rotatably mounted in saidbracket, a mail catchingmember pivoted to the outer end of said arm, aspring for holding the same normally ver tical, a track, means carriedby said arm adapted. to engage said track to cause said arm to revolveand lower the mail catch member, and means associated with said shaftsand arm to return said arm to its 1 initial position.

5. "In a device of the class described, a pair ofguide members, an armadjustably supported relative'to said guide members, track-positionedmeans adapted to engage said arm to partially rotate the same, and meansassociated with said arm and guide ed to travel to cause saidU-shapedmen1ber V to assume. a horlzontal posltlon, and means membersadapted to restore said arm to its initial position. a

6. In a device of the class described, a car, three spaced parallel armspositioned transversely of said car, one of said arms being adjustablyassociated with the other two arms,vmeans for partially rotating saidad-' jected through said opening, a normally vertical bag-catchingmember carried by said arm means engaging said arm to cause thebag-catching member to assume a horizontal position, and means forreturning said bag-catching member to vertical posi- Y tion.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN LULEK.

Witnesses:

TOM LULEK, MARTIN Mlsxowrrz.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

